Power operated knife



Nov. 14, 1939. c, K TE N 2,180,244

' POWER OPERATED KNIFE Filed June 4, 1938 Inventor Patented Nov. 14, 1939 l UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE POWER OPERATED KNIFE Clem E. Kosterman, Racine, Wis.

Application June 4, 1938, Serial No. 211,939

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to knives and has for its primaryobject to provide a power driven blade to facilitate the cutting operation. More specifically the invention embodies a knife handle having an electric motor mounted therein, together with a blade sheath projecting from one end of the handle and within which the cutting blade is slidably mounted and operatively connected to the motor.

A further object of the invention is to provide a power operated knife of this character of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in performance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational View with parts broken away and shown in sections.

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the sheath and blade taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a side elevational View of the blade. Referring now to the drawing in detail, the

numeral 5 designates a handle which is hollow and within which is mounted an electric motor 6 having a bracket 1 projecting from the forward end thereof and within which the shaft 8 of the motor is journaled, an intermediate portion of the motor having a worm 9 formed thereon.

A wheel Ill is journaled in the bracket by a shaft H, the wheel being provided with a worm gear l2 in engagement with the worm 9 for rotating the wheel.

A pitman rod I 3 is pivotally mounted at one end as at 14 eccentrically on the wheel l0 and has its opposite end pivoted as at 15 to the rear end of a reciprocally mounted blade 16. Projecting forwardly from the handle 5 is a sheath l1, said sheath being of elongated fiat construction and having one longitudinal edge formed with a longitudinally extending slot l8 within which the blade I6 is slidably mounted. A pair of pins [9 project transversely of the slot l8 and inserted in slotted openings 20 and 2| formed adjacent the rear and front ends respectively of the blade IE to support the blade in position in the slot iii of the sheath.

The blade l6 has one edge projecting slightly outwardly from the sheath and is formed with a knife or cutting edge 22. Inwardly of the cutting edge 22 the sides of the blade are formed with longitudinally extending shoulders 23 upon which the edges of the sheath ll are seated, as will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 of the drawing. Y I

Also the longitudinal side edges of the sheath immediately'adjacent the projected edge of the blade are beveled as at 24 in the plane of the bevel of the blade. 10

An electric cord 25 enters the rear end of the handle for operatively connecting the motor with a suitable source of current and the under side of the handle is preferably provided with a switch In the operation of the device the rotation of the wheel Ill is transferred into reciprocating movement by the pitman l3 for operating the blade H5 in a manner as will be apparent.

The front ends of the sheath I! as well as the 20 blade I6 are rearwardly inclined as shown at 21 and 28 respectively in order that the blade will extend forwardly of the sheath during the cutting operation.

, Having thus described the invention, what I 25 claim is said means comprising a bracket supported on the motor shaft, a worm on an intermediate portion of the shaft, ashaft projecting from the bracket at right angles to the motor shaft, a wheel including a gear journaled on the last named shaft for engagement with the worm and a pitman connecting the wheel to the blade.

2. A power operated knife comprising a handle having a motor operatively mounted therein, a sheath projecting from one end of the handle, said sheath being of elongated fiat construction and having a slot in one edge portion thereof, 45 a blade having one edge slidably mounted in the slot, longitudinal shoulders on 'each side of the blade abutting the slotted edges of the sheath, said blade having its exposed edge beveledand the sheath also having its slotted edge beveled .in the 50 plane of the beveling of the blade to facilitate I movement of the blade and sheath into the work, a plurality of slotted openings in the blade, pins *carried by the sheath inserted in said slotted} openings for supporting the blade and means 65 operatively connecting the blade to the motor for reciprocally operating the blade.

3. A power operated knife comprising a handle having a motor operatively mounted therein, a

5 sheath projecting forwardly from the handle, a

blade reciprocally mounted in the sheath and having one edge projecting therefrom and means operatively connecting the blade to said motor, said sheath and blade having rearwardly and upwardly uniformly inclined front edges providing a. pointed end at the bottom thereof.

CLEM E. KOSTERMAN. 

